Sooma tDCS for depression treatment
Effective depression care in-clinic or at-home
Depression is a worldwide public health problem that overwhelms millions of people across age groups and backgrounds – and most are still waiting in line to access effective care.
Sooma tDCS™ is an EU MDR-approved brain stimulation device for depression treatment. It is a tool for clinicians to deliver effective and safe care for both in-clinic and at-home.
Gentle stimulation for depressed brain
A hand-held, easy-to-use device and a comfortable head cap deliver the treatment. The device provides a gentle electrical stimulation to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, area of the brain most affected by depression. The technology is called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
As the first EU MDR-approved tDCS system for treating depression, Sooma tDCS is noninvasive and drug-free, and can be used either as a first line of treatment or add-on to medication or psychotherapy.
The device can be used flexibly in a high throughput clinic or prescribed for a patient for self-administration with remote monitoring. Regardless of where the treatments take place – the clinician remains in full control.
The evidence at a glance
Sooma tDCS is supported by a growing base of randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, international guidelines, and real-world clinical experience across more than 30,000 patients in over 35 countries.
More than half of the patients benefit
In a real-world study of 410 patients, ~55% achieved a clinical response and depression scores fell by an average of ~48% with Sooma tDCS. At baseline 38% had severe depression; after treatment only 5% did. (1)
Level A recommendation
The 2021 European evidence-based expert guidelines give tDCS a Level A recommendation for the treatment of major depressive disorder. (2)
Superior to sham across trials
In a large randomized controlled trial, active home-tDCS resulted in remission in ~57% of patients versus ~29% for sham — a clinically meaningful advantage over placebo, comparable to that reported for antidepressant medications. (3)
Well established safety profile
No serious adverse events have been associated with tDCS in the clinical trial literature. Typical side effects are mild and transient such as skin redness and headache. This makes tDCS a very good option for patients who wish to avoid medication. (4)
1. Lõokene, M, Markov N, Nikander M, et al. Reduction of symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder after transcranial direct current stimulation treatment: A real-world study. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, Volume 8, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2022.100347
2. Fregni F, El-Hagrassy MM, Pacheco-Barrios K, Carvalho S, et al. Evidence Based Guidelines and Secondary Meta-Analysis for the Use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021 Apr 21;24(4):256-313. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyaa051
3. Woodham RD, Selvaraj S, Lajmi N, et al. Home-based transcranial direct current stimulation treatment for major depressive disorder: a fully remote phase 2 randomized sham-controlled trial. Nat Med. 2024 Oct 21.
4. Antal A, Bjekić J, Ganho-Ávila A, et al. Low intensity transcranial electric stimulation: Safety, ethical, legal regulatory and application guidelines (2017-2025: An update) – endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN). Clin Neurophysiol. 2026;184:2111436. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2025.2111436
Care targeted where its needed
Depression is associated with a functional imbalance between the two sides of the prefrontal cortex and underactivity of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a region central to mood regulation.
Sooma tDCS is designed to address this imbalance directly. Two scalp electrodes placed over the prefrontal cortex deliver a gentle, constant electrical current (2 mA). Rather than forcing neurons to fire, the current subtly shifts the resting excitability of the neurons beneath each electrode — nudging the underactive left DLPFC toward a more typical level of activity.
The therapeutic benefit builds gradually as repeated daily sessions drive longer-lasting changes in neuronal excitability and connectivity, through neuroplasticity mechanisms similar to long-term potentiation. This is why tDCS is given as a course — typically 30-minute sessions on weekdays over at least three weeks — with symptom improvement usually emerging over the first few weeks and continuation sessions available to help maintain the response.
See how the treatment is done
The patient can self-administer the treatment session either in-clinic or at-home. This ensures that healthcare personnel resources are used efficiently, as they are free to do other things during the treatment session.
If the treatment session is done at-home, Sooma Portal allows clinicians to manage and monitor the treatments remotely.
Suitable for different patient populations
Sooma tDCS is an additional tool to clinicians therapeutic toolbox. It is not suitable for all, but it provides a lot of flexibility for clinician.
The treatment can be used as a first-line option, as an add-on to antidepressants or psychotherapy, or as an alternative for patients who cannot tolerate or prefer to avoid medication. It is often a particularly good fit for patients who have had intolerable side effects or withdrawal difficulties with antidepressants, those who want a non-invasive, drug-free option, and those for whom at-home treatment would improve access or adherence.
Response is most likely in mild-to-moderate depression and in patients taking few or no concomitant psychotropic medications — in our real-world study*, response rates were highest in milder cases. Patients with treatment-resistant depression or significant comorbidities can still benefit, but generally require longer courses and maintenance sessions, and expectations should be set accordingly.
* Lõokene M, Markov N, Nikander M, Neuvonen T, Dilkov D. Reduction of symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder after transcranial direct current stimulation treatment: A real-world study. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, Volume 8, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2022.100347.
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Real experiences, real results. Find out why Sooma tDCS is the most prescribed tDCS treatment for depression in the world.
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Regulatory information
EU MDR certified
Class IIa medical device, CE 0598. Sooma tDCS™ is the first EU MDR-approved tDCS system.
Quality management
Designed in Finland under ISO 13485.
Data protection and security
Full compliance to GDPR with DPA and DPIA documentation available.
